Cybernetics is the study of the interaction betweenhuman beings and computers. Computers are aluxury that everyone experiences daily. Born in theAI era, Cybernetics became popular through NorbertWiener’s book about cybernetics. Thoughmostcybernetic usages are limited to the medical field,through the technology of pacemakers and insulinpumps, scientists like Kevin Warwick are making thefirst steps into bringingcybernetics into social andnon-medical uses. Warwick self-experimentedwithimplants in his arm to interact with technology. Manyadvantages are possible through the implementationof cybernetics in society, but there are someunderlying ethical issues that cause some doubt aboutcybernetics’ overall benefits in society.

1.

Introduction

Motion pictures and the popular press havealreadydepicted Human-Computer interactions

in a futuristicand often predictive way. From“StarWars”to recentfilms like

”I, Robot” and “Terminator”, society hasseen the advantages and disadvantages ofcybernetics, the combining of machine elements intoa human, either for rehabilitation or geneticenhancement. Society hasbeen led by this media toperceive cybernetics and technology in general asboth a miracle and a threat. Despite the claims thattechnology could overpower the human race byeventually becoming smarter than humans,societyisgradually beginning a technologically-involved era.

People are already using cyberneticsand relatedtechnologywithout realizing it.For example, acommon cybernetic medical device is a

pacemaker,which is implanted in a person’s body to

regulate theheartbeat via electrical stimulation controlled by

awireless signal sent by a small device the

personmustcarry at all times. Onthe modern battlefield, soldiersarecontinuallysending wireless signals to locatepositions of teammates and hostile

targets,and alsosending signals to communicate with theircommandbase.The devices that soldiers wear are partiallycybernetic; these devices

information to be transmitted from a single computerchip placedunder the skin ofa soldier, sendingsignals to the base about the soldier’s health and vitalsigns while simultaneously

sending information tothe soldier’s Heads Up Display

(HUD) wirelessly.

Society is only in the beginning stages of all thesetechnological wonders, and one University ofReadingprofessor, Kevin Warwick, took the firststepinto the new world.

2. Background

2.1 Definition

A simple definition of cybernetics is the study ofinteraction between humans and machines. In Greek,cybernetics isderived from their word meaning “theart of steering.”[4]

Thisderivationshows the truemeaning of what cybernetics is all about. Cyberneticsis about having a goal, either medical or beneficial,and finding means to achieve that goal, in this case,withthe assistance of technology.

Figure1: A Solider using hisHeads Up Display (HUD)[7]

Norbert Weiner(Figure 2)coined the

term“cybernetics” in his book“Cybernetics, or controland communication in the animal and the machine.”

This was important because it connects control(actions takento achieve

goals) with communicationand information flow between the person and theenvironment. Wiener is pointing out that effectiveaction requires communication.[2]

2.2 AI versus Cybernetics

Many people confuse AI with cybernetics, orultimately consider them to be the same idea. This isnot true, as AI deals with intelligent machines, suchas the ELIZA. ELIZA is an example of the beginningof AI when “she” was first introduced to the

public in

the late 1960’s.[3]

Written by Joseph Weizenbaum,ELIZA’s main purpose was to simulate a psychiatrist.Despite ELIZA’s many logical limitations andfrequent string concatenations, people wereconvinced that they were talking to another humanbeing if conversation was kept simple rather thanphilosophical.

Another example of AI is the chess computers DeepThought and Deep Blue

(Figure 3), which

both chessgrandmasters David Levy and Garry Kasparov eachhad bouts with. Cybernetics takes on a whole newapproach about computers.

Rather than the intelligent machine,pitted against theintelligence of humans, cybernetics focuses more onthe communication between humansand technology

in order to enhance the capabilities of humans.Cybernetics does not have the focus of makinghumans smarter or even making decisions for

humans. Their primary goal is to link humans tocomputers.

3. How Cybernetics isImplemented

3.1 A Radical Implementation

Kevin Warwick

(Figure 4), a professor at theUniversity ofReading, was the first man to have achip implanted in his arm. Through a minor surgicalprocedure where the area of his arm was given a localanesthetic, Mr. Warwick has a inch long and one-tenth of an inch wide chip implanted in his arm. Thischip sent wireless

it. I now don't have to opendoors." Warwickis referring to the affects the chip

has on hissurroundings. When he walks throughout thebuilding, computers automatically pull uppreprogrammed Web pages such as his favorite sites,doors open, and computers say "Hello, ProfessorWarwick," or tell him how many e-mail messages hehas.

The chip was removed before ten days of being in hisarm. If Warwick waited longer, his body would haveaccepted the chip and removing it would be more of aserious surgeryrather than a simple procedure.[1]

As mentioned earlier, there are many other common,and some not so common, uses of cybernetics. Oneuse of cybernetics, as mentioned earlier, isprominentin the medical field. Pacemakers are inserted into thebody(Figure 5)and transmit a signal which can bereceived from an outside device. This signal containsinformation, such as a patient’s name, therapysettings, date of birth, blood type, battery life andother information useful to the doctor.[11]

Insulin pumps are also about to read the body’s bloodsugar level and increase or decrease flow to maintaina normal blood sugar level.

Outside of medicine, cybernetics is not usedfrequently. There are similar activities that a personcan accomplish with the help of computers, but theinteraction between human and computer in thosesituations are nothing more than clicking a deviceoutside the human body or touching a key pad.

Cyber-futurists expect these medial tasks to beaccomplished

without the assistance of outsidedevices but rather with chips in the human brain thatsends signals to external devices. As mentioned later,this will greatly improve the lives of disabled orunfortunate people.

3.3 Advantages and Disadvantages

3.3.1 Advantages

The advantages and disadvantages of cyberneticshave been discussed for years now. Some of theadvantages discoveredare

Pre-programmed websites would be pulled up whenhe was in range of a computer. Doors would open forhim, and he learned to use a computer without thehelp of a mouse. Instead he used the signal in fromthe chip in his arm to navigate around the computer.These movements suggest that people withdisabilities will be able to fully operate computersand machinery without the aid of extraneous devices.Communication between one person and another willbe done through cybernetic chips, so people withhearing, sight or speech disabilities will be able tocommunicate effectively.

3.3.2 Disadvantages

Disadvantages are focused around two major aspects,security and bad intentions. Data that is stored on thechip could conceivably be stolen and used foridentity theft. So the information on the chip must beheavily encrypted.Also, these chips can locate aperson in any given area if the unique signal

is beingreceived by a device. The notion of “Big Brother”bothers many people, as this would be a breach ofprivacy along with the unwanted transmittance ofpersonal information.

For bad intentions, there are many possibilities thatcould arise from theuse of cyberneticsenhancements. As stated, identity theft would be abig problem (imagine, “hacking” people.)

Also, falseidentities could be easily constructed and implantedin people, possibly for malicious intent.Medically,genetically

enhancing a person to perform bettercould classify as cheating. (Honestly, would you liketo run a race against someone with robotic legs?

Itwould be like racing against Jeff Gordon in his carwhile you are on foot.)

Regardless, a lot of these disadvantages can easilybeovercome with simple planning. Encryptions are amust for cybernetics when dealing with personalinformation, and possibly even a pin number toaccess the information stored within the chip.

4.FutureDirections

Cybernetics is advancing slowly, but noticeably.Society saw eleven years ago a chip being implantedinto a man’s arm, and the ease of access it allowedhim. Future plans might include even more than thosealready displayed.

Figure5: A Pacemaker in ahuman body

[11]

Some instances like driving a car throughcybernetics, or having more than just medicalinformation stored are only a few of the possibilitiesof cybernetics. Keep forgetting passwords? Noproblem. These chips could be programmed to put inyour login information on a site that you areregistered. Maybe even bank account information, sono more ATM cards. A person would just wave ahand in front of a scanner and input a pin number.Again, all this information would have to be heavilyencrypted in order to prevent theft, but that should be

easy enough to do with the technology available tosociety today.

Kevin Warwick has also taken the next step intoCybernetics. Four years after his successfulexperiment with the transponder chip, he has a one-hundred electrode array implanted in his left wrist.With this array, he was able to control an electricwheelchair and an intelligent mechanical arm withnerve stimulation between the nerves in his wrist andhis brain. The chip also allowed communication offeelings between him and his wife, who had a lessintricate chip implanted in her left arm.[6]

For hisnext step, Warwick intends on having a chip with fullfunctionality implanted in his brain.